A refrigerator includes a body, first and second storage compartments and a machine compartment formed in the body, a blower fan disposed in the machine compartment, first and second refrigerating units comprising first and second compressors to compress first and second refrigerants, respectively, first and second condensers to condense the first and second refrigerants, respectively, first and second expansion valves to expand the first and second refrigerants, respectively, and first and second evaporators to evaporate the first and second refrigerants, respectively, the first and second refrigerating units supplying cold air to the first and storage compartments, respectively. The first compressor, the second compressor, and the first condenser are disposed in the machine compartment and are cooled by forcible flow of air caused by the blower fan, and the second condenser is disposed outside the machine compartment and is cooled by natural convection of air.

In some embodiments, a refrigeration device includes: walls substantially forming a liquid-impermeable container configured to hold phase change material internal to the refrigeration device; at least one active refrigeration unit including a set of evaporator coils positioned at least partially within the liquid-impermeable container; a unidirectional thermal conductor with a condensing end and an evaporative end, the condensing end positioned within the liquid-impermeable container; a first aperture in the liquid-impermeable container, the first aperture of a size, shape and position to permit the set of evaporator coils to traverse the aperture; a second aperture in the liquid-impermeable container, the second aperture including an internal surface of a size, shape and position to mate with an external surface of the unidirectional thermal conductor; and one or more walls substantially forming a storage region in thermal contact with the evaporative end of the unidirectional thermal conductor.

An air cooling system for a temperature-controlled display case includes at least two modular cooling elements, one or more fans configured to provide an air flow to the at least two modular cooling elements, and an air plenum common to each of the one or more fans and the at least two modular cooling elements, the air plenum being configured to direct the air flow from the one or more fans through the at least two modular cooling elements and into a product area of the temperature-controlled display case.

In a refrigerator control method according to an embodiment of the present invention, an operation corresponding to a deep-freezing chamber load, in which both a refrigeration chamber valve and a freezer chamber valve are opened, is performed when a deep-freezing chamber mode is turned on and the input condition of the operation corresponding to a deep-freezing chamber load is satisfied.

A method for controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a step for determining whether a defrosting period (POD) for defrosting a freezing chamber and a deep freezing chamber has elapsed; a step for, when it is determined that the defrosting period has elapsed, performing a deep cooling operation for bringing at least one among the temperature of the deep freezing chamber and temperature of the freezing chamber down to a temperature lower than a control temperature; and a step for defrosting the deep freezing chamber when the deep cooling operation is terminated, wherein, when the defrosting of the deep freezing chamber is started, a freezing chamber valve is closed to block cold air flow to the heat sink, the defrosting of the deep freezing chamber includes cold sink defrosting and heat sink defrosting performed after the cold sink defrosting is completed, and while the heat sink defrosting is being performed, a deep freezing chamber fan is driven to remove vapor generated during the cold sink defrosting.

A method for controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a step for determining whether a deep-freezing chamber mode is ON; and a step for determining whether a deep-freezing chamber load response operation input condition is satisfied, wherein when a cold chamber is determined to be operating at the time the deep-freezing chamber load response operation input condition is satisfied, the cold chamber operation is terminated and a deep-freezing chamber load response operation is performed.

A thermoelectric module according to an embodiment of the present invention may comprise: a cold sink; a thermoelectric element having a heat absorption surface coupled to the cold sink; a heat sink coupled to a heating surface of the thermoelectric element to dissipate heat transferred from the cold sink to the outside of the thermoelectric element; and a sealing cover for connecting the edge of the cold sink and the edge of the heat sink to surround the thermoelectric element, wherein the cold sink, the heat sink, and the thermoelectric element may be integrally formed by the sealing cover.

In addition, the thermoelectric element may be a cascade type thermoelectric element in which two thermoelectric elements having the same or different specifications are coupled to each other.

A method of controlling a refrigerator may include operating a first cooling cycle for a first storage compartment to drive a compressor and operating a first cooling fan for cooling the first storage compartment, and switching to a second cooling cycle for cooling a second storage compartment to drive the compressor and operating a second cooling fan for cooling the second storage compartment when a stop condition of the first cooling cycle is satisfied. The method may also include switching to a third cooling cycle for cooling the first storage compartment to drive the compressor and operating the first cooling fan when a stop condition of the second cooling cycle is satisfied.

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a separate deep-freezing space which is partitioned inside a storage space of the refrigerator. Provided is a refrigerator having a flow path which allows cold air to circulate inside a deep-freezing chamber. According to an embodiment disclosed in the present document, a flow path portion is formed on one part of the inner surface of the housing which forms the inner space of the deep-freezing chamber. The flow path portion is formed in a stepped shape on the inner surface of the housing.

A method for controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, when the temperature of a freezing chamber is in a satisfactory temperature range, and a deep-freezing chamber mode is turned on such that a deep-freezing chamber cooling operation is being performed, the refrigerator is controlled to perform a cold air sagging prevention operation in which a fan of the freezing chamber repeatedly starts and stops at regular intervals.